Lilu (company)

Lilu was started in 2015 by Adriana C. Vazques and Sujay Suresh Kumar after the pair met at the University of Pennsylvania.

They developed a massaging bra designed to help breastfeeding mothers pump milk hands free. The massaging pattern applied by the bra is a similar to the compression pattern recommended by lactation experts. Lilu says the compression applied by the bra will, much like regular massage during lactation, bring forward the breast's milk and help prevent clogged ducts. They say the massaging will also reduce the mother's chance for mastitis, or inflammation of the breast tissue.

The massage bra looks similar to a regular sports bra, except for the massage pads, which are charged through USB, and it has two flaps which pull back to attach milk pumps. A button in the middle toggles the massage on and off and control the strength of the massage. The bra does not come with a pump.

Initially available through Kickstarter, where lilu raised some of their funding to develop the massage bra, Lilu began processing regular orders of the massage bra through their site late 2019.

Besides Kickstarter, Lilu has also raised funding through Y Combinator, was named one of Dreamit Health's fall 2016 companies, received a $50,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, received $10,000 from the Penn Wharton Innovation Fund and won $50,000 at University of Pennsylvania's iDesign competition.